You don't have to accept the price you're given. There's almost always a cheaper route. This weekend, upgrade your frugal aptitude with these tips.

Pay Less by Just Asking

A price tag is just a price tag, and because most people assume it isn't negotiable they just go ahead and pay it. The reality is that you can negotiate just about any price, and often times it doesn't involve much more than asking a question.

Dear Lifehacker, I usually don't have a problem paying for software, but some programs—like…
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If you're looking for a discount on hosting, wait until a major hosting company does something stupid, gets hacked, or has major downtime. That host's competitors will often jump on the opportunity to say "nothing bad ever happens with us!" (even though that's rarely true) and provide a discount code for new customers. Additionally, if you know anybody who already uses a web host that you want to use, they may be able to generate some sort of discount code for you. Dreamhost, for example, allows its customers to generate codes that provide discounts as well as a referral bonus for the existing customer.

It's never been easier to compare travel and accommodation prices using sites like Hipmunk,…
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To make sure you're getting the lowest price on anything you want to buy, there are two primary things you want to do. First, install InvisibleHand in your web browser so you're alerted if there's a lower price somewhere other than where you're currently shopping online. It even works with airfare. When you're on the go, you can just use a great mobile price comparison app instead. Second, check RetailMeNot for a possible coupon code. For more tips, check out this guide.

A bit of planning can save you a ton of money when it comes to buying... well, just about anything. …
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Combine Purchases to Get a Multi-Buy Discount

Just like with the previously mentioned software bundles, buying a packaged deal can save you a lot of money. This is certainly the case with your cable company, but also very useful when you're booking a flight, hotel, and car rental. New computers can often be paired with RAM upgrades or printers for a steep discount. For the most part, any time you want to buy a few similar things you should always look for the possibility of a packaged deal. If you can't find one, don't hesitate to ask the store. Sometimes they'll make one just for you because you're buying more.